ABU DHABI // The International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC) has bred more than 46,000 Houbara bustards this year, a record number for the organisation.
Since the breeding programme began in 1996, the Asian houbara and the North African houbara have been the focus of IFHC’s conservation efforts. This year it bred 25,588 Asian houbara, an increase of 23 per cent over the previous season, and 20,426 North African houbara.
“We are delighted to build on the success of previous years with another record year for the production of the houbara bustard,” said director general of the IFHC, Mohammed Saleh Al Baidani.
“These figures represent a significant achievement for our teams across our research centres, who are leading the way in global houbara conservation. Together, we are working towards a sustainable future for the houbara and are committed to passing this legacy on to the next generation,” he said.
The IFHC manages programmes at four centres internationally, including the National Avian Research Centre and the Sheikh Khalifa Houbara Breeding Centre in Abu Dhabi, the Emirates Centre for Wildlife Propagation in Morocco and the Sheikh Khalifa Houbara Breeding Centre in Kazakhstan.
To restore and establish sustainable wild populations of houbara bustard, the IFHC ensures that efforts are concentrated on producing a substantial surplus of the birds. These are needed for the sustainability of its captive breeding programme and for release of the species globally.
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